It has come to my attention that the January Newsletter did not auto send as it was suppose too. I apologize here it is and some great stuff to check out. I can say however “The Eye on the Market” side Wow I am a busy girl! My partner lender just told me she secured a client of mine 3.75% on a home loan and she and I are excited at how much this is going to save families wanting to buy. Is 2015 your year? If so let me know and lets get you started!
Its Christmas season! Oh I love this time of year and if your around the Snohomish County area a lot of us have snow! We do and my kids are praying that it stays the whole month. Not sure I agree but it is nice. As with keeping with the season but, of course, a bit of Real Estate I have come up with a plan and I hope you all think its a good one. Every day till Christmas I am going to highlight a local city here in Snohomish county and a home currently on the market. Did you know there are 23 main cities here in our beautiful county? Plus a bit of Holiday cheer, tips and funnies. So lets get started (in no particular order).
Woodway- $7,950,000 Wow this has to be the most expensive house in Snohomish County! Get your groove on in this unique and exciting estate created for the enjoyment of the good life! Abundant amenities include indoor rain forest spa pavilion, indoor basketball court, 14 car garage and elevator. Fully gated and fenced on nearly four manicured acres. The lush grounds include a full size tennis court and a regulation little league field. Five bedrooms plus service quarters/guest house and 5.75 baths with endless space to entertain guests and friends. Your own 5-Star resort for sure.
Look at this layout.
Dream kitchen
Indoor rain forest spa pavilion
HOLIDAY FACTS~
Did you know- There are currently 78 people living in the U.S with the name S. Claus and one Kriss Kringle? What were those parents thinking?
Mistletoe was used by Druid priests 200 years before the birth of Christ in their winter celebrations. They revered the plant since it had no roots yet remained green during the cold months of winter.
In the show, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” the Grinch cuts out a Santa beard, but never wears it.
12 million packages are delivered by the U.S. Postal Service every day during the holiday season through Christmas Eve. The busiest delivery day: December 20th.
I hope you enjoy and cheers to a fantastic Holiday season!
http://www.snohomishcountyhomesinc.com
The economy was very tough a few years back and I have met many that went through some very hard times but now have made their way back are financially stable, secure and ready to move on and plant roots again. It was so hard to have to tell these potential home buyers that unfortunately they were not able to purchase a home and had to wait.
But there is now some great news!!
You are no longer held to the 7 year foreclosure wait requirement!
There is of course still waiting requirements but they are more lenient.
VA Short sales- Now 1 year from completion was 2 years
Fannie Mae Short Sales– 4 Years from completion date
FHA– 3 Years from completion
USDA– 3 Years from completion date
As always check with your lender as these are only guidelines and different banks, brokers and mortgage companies will have some of their own programs.
I hope this helps and brings some families closer to their dream of owning a home again.
http://www.snohomishcountyhomesinc.com
“Stability” seemed to characterize the direction of Western Washington’s housing market during August, according to new figures from Northwest Multiple Listing Service.
Both the volume of sales and prices rose slightly from a year ago, although both indicators slipped somewhat from July. MLS members also reported a modest year-over-year increase in inventory, but the number of new listings added to the selection during August was the smallest since April.
“What we are seeing now with the market is a moderated growth in appreciation, a normalizing of sales volume, and continued health overall,” declared MLS director George Moorhead, the owner and designated broker at Bentley Properties in Bothell. “It is not a call for alarm,” Moorhead emphasized, describing it as “just a balancing and adjusting of a healthy market.”
MLS members reported 9,342 pending sales across the 21 counties served by the Kirkland-based organization. That marks a 3.1 percent gain over the year-ago total of 9,065 mutually accepted offers. Eleven counties reported increases in pending sales during August compared to the same month a year ago.
Commenting on inventory, MLS board member Dick Beeson said the pace of activity in the South Sound has slowed, “and that means buyers have to keep a keen eye out for good bargains in areas they have been scouting.” Beeson, a principal managing broker at RE/MAX Professionals in Tacoma who oversees offices in four counties, said sellers are more in the driver’s seat than they were earlier in the year. “It’s not a mad-rush sellers’ market,” he reported, but added, “buyers are realizing they must act in a timely manner to compete.”
At month-end buyers could choose from 27,060 active listings – about 2.4 percent more than the inventory of a year ago when there were 26,433 properties in the MLS system. The total at the end of August included 10,054 new listings that were added during the month, down slightly from the year-ago figure of 10,172. Last month’s total number of new listings was the smallest total since April.
System-wide, there is just under 3.5 months of supply, but that average varies widely among the counties served by Northwest MLS. King County, with only about two months of supply, has the tightest inventory. Four-to-six months of supply is considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.
“We continue to have a shortage of homes for sale in King County – one of the best housing markets in the nation,” noted J. Lennox Scott, chairman and CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate. He credited “fantastic job growth, foreign buyers and very favorable interest rates” as factors in creating a backlog of buyers.
Through eight months, MLS figures show the number of closed sales is outpacing the same period a year ago by a slim margin (115 units). MLS members reported 7,775 closed sales during August, slightly below the year-ago total of 7,841 (down 0.84 percent) and the previous month’s total of 7,878 completed transactions.
Year-over-year prices for single family homes and condominiums that sold last month rose about 1.6 percent compared to a year ago, increasing from $283,000 to $287,500. Despite the system-wide increase, five counties reported declines in median prices for sales that closed in August compared to 12 months ago (Grant, Jefferson, Kitsap, Okanogan, and Pacific). Seven counties had double-digit increases.
In King County, the median selling price was $398,000 for a 1.4 percent gain from the year-ago figure of $392,500. According to MLS statistics, the sales price in August matched the figure for May, but slipped from the figures for June ($410,000) and July ($425,000).
Single family homes (excluding condos) had a median selling price of $299,950 area-wide, up 2 percent from a year ago when it was $294,000.
In King County, the median sales price for single family homes that sold during August was $437,000; a year ago it was $430,000.
“The current trend for strong pending activities and solid closed transaction numbers should keep the confidence level steady,” remarked Darin Stenvers, chairman of the board of directors at Northwest MLS. “Buoyed by low mortgage rates, buyers should remain optimistic about their new home purchases late into 2014,” he added.
Stenvers, the branch manager at John L. Scott in Bellingham, expects the balance of 2014 will remain at a slow and steady pace of appreciation, which should help distressed sellers. “Sellers should reevaluate the market as they may be surprised at the current values,” he suggests.
The recovering market is also boosting activity for home improvement contractors and subcontractors, Stenvers noted. “Sellers are able to afford to improve their homes prior to marketing them, or buyers are undertaking reasonable remodels shortly after closing,” he reported.
Northwest Multiple Listing Service, owned by its member real estate firms, is the largest full-service MLS in the Northwest. Its membership includes more than 21,000 real estate brokers. The organization, based in Kirkland, Wash., currently serves 21 counties in Washington state.
Click here for Statistical Summary by Counties: Market Activity Summary – August 2014, and 4-County Puget Sound Region Pending Sales
INFO THAT HITS US WHERE WE LIVE… We all want to be the best and help make the housing market the best it can be. Housing took a big step ahead in July as Housing Starts blasted ahead 15.7% to an annual rate just over one million units. Starts are now up 21.7% over a year ago, with strong gains in the past year for both single family starts, up 10.1%, and multi-family, up 44.7%. New Building Permits zoomed up a nice 8.1% in July, also to a just over one million annual rate. Versus a year ago, single-family permits are up almost 4%, multi-family up just over 14%.
Monthly Housing Starts can be volatile, so let’s look at the 12-month moving average. It’s at its highest level since October 2008. Also nice to see, the total number of homes under construction (but not finished) is up 2.9% in July and up 22.8% from a year ago. No wonder the National Association of Home Builders confidence index is up two points in August, to its best read since January. More good news came with Existing Home Sales up 2.4% in July to a solid 5.15 million unit annual rate. Best of all, inventories have been growing for 7 months now and are 5.8% higher than a year ago.
30-year mortgage rate falls to 4.1%, a 2014 low!!!!
DID YOU KNOW?… The oldest surviving houses are in Turkey, in a Neolithic settlement built around 7500 B.C. People entered these mud-brick homes through a hole in the ceiling that also provided ventilation for the fires within.
BUSINESS TIP OF THE WEEK… It’s not about what you get, it’s about what you give. Focus on giving your clients more and the rewards will follow.
Sneak Peak! Do you know there are some great bank owned homes from Fannie Mae coming soon? Here is one in Bothell that will hit the market in a few weeks. 1994 Rambler with nice tile floors, island kitchen, gas fireplace, 3 bdrm/ 2 bath/ 1632 sq ft. List price will be under $340K. Want more info? Hurry and ask BEFORE it hits the market.
This one is going on tomorrow! Turn Key FHA approved town home ready for new owner! Located in a small gated community surrounded by new homes & natural growth protected area. This Private & spacious home sits in back of the complex backing up to green belt. W/ Large living space of 1128sq. ft. & a 525 sq. ft garage w/additional storage you have room for everything. Features lots of large windows, hardwoods in kitchen & bath, gas stove, gas fireplace, gas heat & all appliances. Min. to Everett Boeing, Muk. Schools & Shopping. $165K
You have finally closed on your new home and with great rates and a beautiful home you can now relax all the hard work is over right? Not exactly. So get settled in and get use to a mortgage payment then, after a few months take a look on how you can get that mortgage down a bit faster.
Either right away, or in the future, there is a better way to pay that 30 year mortgage down quicker and build your equity faster. Here is a current payment schedule based on a approximate 4 1/8% rate. As you can see the first few years you are paying an astronomic amount in interest. Just think of what just one extra payment a year could do for you.
Here is a link to a great site I give to my buyers and sellers. While I am not a mortgage broker (I work with some great ones) I do believe all of us Realtors should provide better tools to our clients and be informed. After all, a home buyer, or seller, who understands the process is more comfortable with their home and their purchase.
Not only does this site have mortgage calculators. Check it out there is every kind of financial calculator you can think of. It actually is a bit addicting so have fun with it!
|
Year |
Total Payments |
Principal Paid |
Interest Paid |
Ending Principal Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000.00 | ||||
| 1 | $17,395.20 | $5,192.05 | $12,203.15 | $294,807.95 |
| 2 | $17,395.20 | $5,408.99 | $11,986.21 | $289,398.96 |
| 3 | $17,395.20 | $5,634.96 | $11,760.24 | $283,764.00 |
| 4 | $17,395.20 | $5,870.37 | $11,524.83 | $277,893.63 |
| 5 | $17,395.20 | $6,115.61 | $11,279.59 | $271,778.02 |
| 6 | $17,395.20 | $6,371.14 | $11,024.06 | $265,406.88 |
| 7 | $17,395.20 | $6,637.34 | $10,757.86 | $258,769.54 |
| 8 | $17,395.20 | $6,914.62 | $10,480.58 | $251,854.92 |
| 9 | $17,395.20 | $7,203.53 | $10,191.67 | $244,651.39 |
| 10 | $17,395.20 | $7,504.47 | $9,890.73 | $237,146.92 |
| 11 | $17,395.20 | $7,818.00 | $9,577.20 | $229,328.92 |
| 12 | $17,395.20 | $8,144.63 | $9,250.57 | $221,184.29 |
| 13 | $17,395.20 | $8,484.91 | $8,910.29 | $212,699.38 |
| 14 | $17,395.20 | $8,839.40 | $8,555.80 | $203,859.98 |
| 15 | $17,395.20 | $9,208.70 | $8,186.50 | $194,651.28 |
| 16 | $17,395.20 | $9,593.44 | $7,801.76 | $185,057.84 |
| 17 | $17,395.20 | $9,994.27 | $7,400.93 | $175,063.57 |
| 18 | $17,395.20 | $10,411.80 | $6,983.40 | $164,651.77 |
| 19 | $17,395.20 | $10,846.79 | $6,548.41 | $153,804.98 |
| 20 | $17,395.20 | $11,299.97 | $6,095.23 | $142,505.01 |
| 21 | $17,395.20 | $11,772.08 | $5,623.12 | $130,732.93 |
| 22 | $17,395.20 | $12,263.90 | $5,131.30 | $118,469.03 |
| 23 | $17,395.20 | $12,776.27 | $4,618.93 | $105,692.76 |
| 24 | $17,395.20 | $13,310.07 | $4,085.13 | $92,382.69 |
| 25 | $17,395.20 | $13,866.14 | $3,529.06 | $78,516.55 |
| 26 | $17,395.20 | $14,445.46 | $2,949.74 | $64,071.09 |
| 27 | $17,395.20 | $15,049.00 | $2,346.20 | $49,022.09 |
| 28 | $17,395.20 | $15,677.73 | $1,717.47 | $33,344.36 |
| 29 | $17,395.20 | $16,332.74 | $1,062.46 | $17,011.62 |
| 30 | $17,391.71 | $17,011.62 | $380.09 |
$0.00 |
#snohomishcountyrealestate #mortgagecalculators
Information and interactive calculators are made available to you as self-help tools for your independent use and are not intended to provide investment advice. We cannot and do not guarantee their applicability or accuracy in regards to your individual circumstances. All examples are hypothetical and are for illustrative purposes. We encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding all personal finance issues.
Did you know~ The month of July is Nectarine and Garlic Month? Here is a few other fun facts for July. Join in the fun and celebrate one of these National “holiday” days.
20th-National Ice cream Day
22nd-National Penuche Fudge Day
23rd-Gorgeous Grandma Day
27th- Parents Day
29th- National Chicken Wing Day
7/30- National Cheesecake Day
7/30- National Chili Dog Day
Some of these Sound Pretty Darn Tasty!
Looking for something to do? Here is just a few of the great events happening this month. For the full line up of so many great events, Farmers Market and stuff to do around Snohomish County see the website .
Snonomish Kla Ha Ya Days is going on through tomorrow
Everett Music in the Parks and Outdoor cinemas are very popular and looks like a great concert tonight down by Lombardi’s- Check out the line ups
Lake Stevens Aquafest- 25th -27th
Mount Lake Terrace- Tour De Terrace- July 25th. 20th Annual Annual is a 3 day- Seafair-Sancitioned Summer Festival
Everett-First Annual Flying Heritage Collection Skyfair! July 26th 10:00-4:00. The Flying Heritage Collection’s 1st Annual Air and Ground show.
And can you believe we are almost at SeaFair time? Wow this summer is flying.
July 26th in Seattle SeaFair Torchlight Parade starting at 7:30
Jen Murrweiss RE/MAX Elite 